Computer systems have become increasingly pervasive in our society. The processing capabilities of computers have increased the efficiency and productivity of workers in a wide spectrum of professions. As the costs of purchasing and owning a computer continues to drop, more and more consumers have been able to take advantage of newer and faster machines. Furthermore, many people enjoy the use of notebook computers because of the freedom. Mobile computers allow users to easily transport their data and work with them as they leave the office or travel. This scenario is quite familiar with marketing staff, corporate executives, and even students.
Given that most of these computers are connected to local area networks (LANs) or the Internet at one point or another, data is transferred and exchanged among these machines. However, not all computers are created equal. For instance, each type of computer can have a different internal architecture or run on a different operating system. Thus, not all of these computer platforms may be compatible. One such issue can arise from the format in which an architecture handles data. Similarly, these computers may not all be designed to process data the same way.